The Melody of Life
by peridotpearl
Summary: Losing someone you love is always painful. But can meeting someone you don't know be even harder?
1. Plaster Circles

The Melody of Life  
  
peridotpearl  
(Aki)  
  
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. (e.g.- I don't own Hana Yori Dango, HYD belongs to Yoko Kamio, the lucky duck!, etc.)  
  
Author's Notes: This story is an AU, so please bear with me as I try to make it believable. Some of the time, the characters will be slightly OOC, if not completely so. Also, thoughts will be in [ ], okay? I recently finished a one-shot, Emblazoned Upon Her. A reviewer said that my writing was too blunt; there was no hidden message. Actually, my dear reviewer, there was one! You need to figure it out by probing through the argument, because I sure as hell am NOT going to tell you what it is! I don't know if this story will have one too, so keep an eye out for clues!  
  
Please note: I appreciate all reviews, though flames not as much. ^.~  
  
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"Mama, I'm home!" Tsukushi pulled the small, pink backpack from her shoulders. It slid gently to the ground with a soft thump. When no one answered, she slid her plain, white shoes off her feet and dropped them carelessly onto the ground, alongside the backpack.  
  
She crept through the rooms silently, hoping to find Mama preoccupied with making her an afternoon snack of macaroni and cheese. Instead, she found empty rooms and no enticing smells of cooking foods.  
  
She sighed with relief when she saw her mother's familiar form draped over the arm of the couch. She scampered over and tapped the still figure on the shoulder. "Mama? Wake up, Mama. I know you're just playing!"  
  
When her mother still didn't respond, Tsukushi frantically shook her. A small bottle fell out of her mother's hands. A small, orange prescription bottle labeled as 'Ecstasy'. It was empty.  
  
:--:--:  
  
Tsukushi scanned the newspaper hungrily, searching for more 'Help Wanted' ads. A red marker gripped firmly in her hand, she flipped through the grimy pages, her eyes desperately roaming across the words.  
  
After awhile, she sighed and folded the newspaper back up. There was nothing else to be found in this copy. Too bad it was missing a page from the Classifieds; maybe that would have had the lucky job.  
  
Ah, what the hell. There was always tomorrow to look for another newspaper and another job. No need to worry; something would come along eventually.  
  
Tsukushi walked out of the dango shop and put the newspaper back where she'd found it. Rummaging around in the garbage bin, she started when she felt something hard. Pulling her hand out, she cringed. Who was she kidding? It wasn't an apple, just an old tin can. It looked like there wouldn't be anything for dinner tonight.  
  
She stepped back from the trashcan, reluctant to leave her only hope for a meal. Sighing, she turned back to the store. Pulling lightly at the door handle, she groaned when the door didn't move. Clutching the handle, she recklessly threw herself backwards, trying to use her weight to move the stubborn door. She cried out in surprise when she accidentally let go.  
  
"Oof!" Someone behind her caught her elbows and the two fell together. Tangled in a mess of joints and clothes, she winced. Mr. Fujimiya would never forgive her for hurting a potential customer so close to the dango shop.  
  
Unwrapping the man's hands from around her arms, Tsukushi stood. She hesitated for a second before offering to help the man up. "I'm so sorry, sir. I did not notice your presence and I'm afraid my clumsiness has injured you in some way. May I apologize by treating you to a meal at this dango store? I'm sure it will not take long." She bowed courteously, intensely aware of the closeness of their two bodies.  
  
The man laughed, clearly amused by her words. Tsukushi kept her head down, fearful of what the man would do to her. A hand tugged gently at her chin, its slender fingers forcing her to look up.  
  
Piercing blue eyes met her gaze, then blinked rapidly for awhile. "Why'd you leave him? I thought you said you'd never ever go anywhere without him. You don't love him, do you?" When he stopped rambling, he studied Tsukushi again. His eyes softened suddenly. "You're not who I thought you were , are you? I thought you were..."  
  
She pulled her chin free from his grasp. His fingers lingered in the air for a second, then dropped. "Thought I was what? An ex-girlfriend? A prostitute ? Some old lady looking for something to amuse herself with? You know what? I don't feel like staying any longer. Here's some money to pay for whatever damage you suddenly find."  
  
She thrust a small handful of bills at him, then dashed away. Bemusedly, he rifled through the money, expecting to see a couple of tens or twenties. Instead, he found himself looking at some familiar bills. Hundred dollar bills.  
  
:--:--:  
  
Tsukushi banged her head against the wall angrily. Plaster drifted down, scattering lightly on the rough wood floors. She paused, looking at the small flakes with interest and a little bit of melancholy. Shaking her head, she started to pound the battered wall with her fists. More plaster and grout rained down upon her. When a thin ring of debris had formed around her, she stopped. Reaching down, she gently moved some of the plaster. Slowly and deliberately, she shifted the pieces around with her fingertips.  
  
:--:--:  
  
"Ahh, Rui. You finally decided to join us, huh?" Soujiro stretched his arms out lazily and winked jokingly at the slouching figure. Then he looked to the man beside him. "Yo, Akira! What's up?"  
  
When he didn't respond, Soujiro smiled slyly at the other two, then shifted so he was snuggled close against Akira's chest. Pitching his voice so it sounded like a girl's, he whined into Akira's ear. "Aki, why didn't you call me after last night? I thought we had had such fun!"  
  
His voice slipped into a smooth tone used only when talking to one of his many ex-girlfriends. "Haruko, I thought we'd agreed that we should see other people. We both knew it wouldn't have worked out for us, so why not break it off and date others? I know you had fun with me in bed, but quite frankly, I thought you were getting pretty monotonous." He shoved Soujiro away roughly. "The fake screams didn't help either."  
  
Soujiro, who had toppled over sideways on the red leather couch, looked dazed for a second. Then he burst out laughing. "Way to go, Akira! You got that far with that Haruko lady? Wasn't she the one that kept on protesting that we were too lowly for her? Man, I would have loved to see her face when you dumped her!"  
  
Akira looked up, stunned. His face turned white, then bright red. He mumbled something into his drink, then stood. Heading to the bar, he ordered another drink, swallowing it in one gulp. He turned and stumbled into another figure. The man pushed Akira away gently, trying to guide him in the direction of the restrooms. But Akira didn't go. He straightened and started to yell at the man, taking wild swings at his head. He lumbered around, smashing everything he could reach.  
  
Soujiro looked at the other man sitting on the couch. "Tsukasa, let's stop him before he really loses control. I wonder what's got him so pissed?"  
  
Tsukasa shook his head sullenly. "How would I know? Let's get him before he reaches a million worth of damages."  
  
Rui spoke up from the shadows. "She's back."  
  
:--:--:--:  
  
So, how'd you like it so far? Don't forget to review because more reviews=more updates! Go ahead; you know you wanna! 


	2. Glass Light

The Melody of Life  
  
peridotpearl  
(Aki)  
  
Disclaimer: Hana Yori Dango doesn't belong to me, even though I want it. I'd even be content with just a small bit of Akira or Rui! Author's Notes: Thank you to all of my readers. I'm so glad that you're enjoying this fanfic. Sorry for not updating sooner! To my reviewers: Thanks! Your feedback is really important to me. It helps me decide a lot of what's going to happen to the characters. My Rui: Hurry up and write something! I'm sick of being the only to post. Everyone thinks peridotpearl is just me and it's not!  
  
Rui stared silently into the sunset. Murky blues mixed with dark purples, then swirled across the sky. Thin streaks of white merged into the fiery crimson of the fading sun. Blue dots of light were barely visible at the edges of the sun's waning glow. Sighing quietly, he pulled the painting out of its frame. Slowly, he walked to the edge of the balcony. Leaning gently against the marble railing, he raised the painting over the side. Holding it in his hands, he looked at it sadly. "You're not mine anymore..." Then he let go.  
  
:--:--:  
  
"Yo, Soujiro! Why are you so late?" Akira called out jovially. He shook his long hair back. "I'm late for the hairstylist! I'm getting this damned-annoying, curly hair straightened!"  
  
Soujiro stepped out slowly out of the shiny blue convertible. Spotting the hordes of girls running toward him, he smothered a smirk. [I guess things will never change for us...] Sadness flitted across his face briefly. [I remember when it wasn't like this...] "You transvestite! I'm not going with you to some girly spa!"  
  
"Hey! I'm not a cross-dresser!" He punched Soujiro lightly in the shoulder. "By the way, have you ever been to that little dango shop, called, um, Quintessential Cakes?"  
  
Soujiro blinked stupidly. "That place? Isn't it in that seedy neighborhood full of druggies? Nope. I don't think so. Why?"  
  
Akira slung an arm around Soujiro's shoulders casually. "Nothing big, but we're going there after I get my hair done." He scampered away, laughing maniacally.  
  
Soujiro shook his head in disgust. "I don't know about this..."  
  
:--:--:  
  
She paused at the door. Peering in through the smudged glass, she tried to locate Mr. Fujimiya's drunken figure staggering about the room. She frowned when she failed to see him. After several more minutes' of spying through the dirty glass, she gave up and decided to go inside. Pulling open the door slowly, she winced when the small bells hanging on the doorframe jingled.  
  
"Tsukushi? Is that you? Get to work; you're late!" Mr. Fujimiya's face poked out from behind the door of the main office. His eyeglasses dangling precariously on the tip of his swollen, fleshy nose, his sagging jowls jiggled as he berated Tsukushi for her tardiness. "I'm working with some customers here. Don't bother us!" He slammed the door of his office shut, cursing wildly when splinters rained upon his bald head.  
  
Tsukushi mumbled to herself, chiding herself for choosing such unrespectable place to work. [What customers? I don't hear anyone talking to Mr. Fujimiya in there! He's probably just talking to his whisky bottle again. I have to remember to dump it out and fill it with pink lemonade...]  
  
She wiped down the counter with a sodden rag. Wringing out the dirty gray water into the cheap plastic bucket, she sighed tiredly. She hadn't gotten any sleep last night, what with throwing up every other hour and running that 102.3(F fever. All of her blankets and sheets were soaked with either sweat or vomit. God, her water bill would be sky-high this month if she tried to wash all of them. She trudged over to the chipped sink in the corner of the store and twisted the faucet on the sink, angling it away from her. Tugging on the rusty handle, she cursed softly when it didn't budge. [Damn this stupid store. Nothing in here works!] She pulled insistently on the old metal pieces, first the hot water handle, then the cold. Finally, the water burst free from the faucet. Bits of rust and mold was mixed in too, creating a murky mess of gunk that sprayed all over the store. Tsukushi smirked, pleased. None of the disgusting sludge had gotten on her, but she had managed to turn on the water in under five minutes, new record-yay!...What a dreary life she had.  
  
Someone behind her coughed politely. She whipped around in surprise. In her hurry, she bumped into the yellow bucket of grimy water. It teetered unsteadily, sloshing around at her feet. With one last feeble attempt to right itself, it gave up and tipped over, spilling a miniature swamp at their feet. Tsukushi grimaced as she felt the water soak into her thin white shoes. Looking up slowly, she winced.  
  
Mr. Fujimiya stood there in a rumpled orange tee shirt and gray sweatpants. In a last-minute try to make himself presentable, he had slathered his hair with a massive amount of gel. He hadn't managed to work it into his already greasy hair and now it lay upon his head like a dead gerbil that quivered when he moved. But Tsukushi wasn't looking at Mr.Fujimiya. She was staring at the man beside him.  
  
:--:--:  
  
Tsukasa shivered in the cold autumn air. His light jacket wasn't nearly enough to counteract the bitter winds that whistled through the air. Pressing the doorbell again, he swore. Why hadn't the Hanazawas gotten a butler? It wasn't like they couldn't afford it-they were the second most powerful family in Japan.  
  
When no one answered the door, he raised a fist to knock on the door. Suddenly, it swung open to reveal a dark hallway, lit by small hand-blown glass lamps. He muttered softly to himself, "What's with the cheap lighting?" He stumbled blindly down the hall, his arms waving wildly to prevent himself from walking into any walls. He cursed loudly when he stubbed his toe against a wooden side table.  
  
A doorway opened to his left, filling the hallway with a bright light. It threw everything else into dark shadows, and Tsukasa was temporarily blinded. "What the hell are you trying to do, Rui?"  
  
Rui merely motioned for Tsukasa to enter the room. His sleepy face was devoid of emotion, yet a small trace of hilarity danced in his eyes. "I need to get some sleep before Shizuka comes."  
  
"Whatever. It's not like you can sleep with all these lights on in your room. Wait...Shizuka? I thought she was France!"  
  
"She came back, I told you."  
  
"How come you don't seem happier? You still seem so dead, so lifeless, so empty of emotion. She won't be happy to see that you're not changing."  
  
But if Tsukasa had taken the time to look carefully, he would have seen the pure, ragged feelings that had he had interrupted when he'd rudely barged into the home. He would have seen the tearstreaks running down Rui's face. 


	3. Tearstained Handkerchiefs

The Melody of Life  
  
peridotpearl  
(Aki)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. This disclaimer applies to the rest of this story too. Author's Notes: I love my reviewers so much! Thanks for all the support I've been receiving for this fanfic. It keeps me inspired, writing, and updating. Believe me, I would not have the patience to continue this without you! Please make sure you notice this: I am using the Western style of calling people by their first names, thus Tsukasa is T.D., Rui is H.R., etc.  
  
~~~~~~~~@  
  
"Welcome to our humble establishment. How may I help you today?" Tsukushi bowed quickly and deeply. Her hair swept the floor as she leaned over. She hoped that the man had not seen her face, or if he had, hadn't recognized it.  
  
Silence filled the room, reigning over Tsukushi's wildly pounding heart. For several long, tense moments, no one said anything. Suddenly, a voice spoke quietly. "Mr. Fujimiya, thank you for your help. I believe I have found the person I was looking for."  
  
Mr. Fujimiya, stunned, looked from the man to Tsukushi. "You were searching for...?" When he was slipped a discrete handful of bills, he quickly shuffled out of the room, bowing and scraping his way past the two.  
  
When he had left, Tsukushi dared to move. She turned back to the sink and lifted her head. Pulling her hair back, she tied it with a small piece of string she found on the grimy counter. Resting her hands on the edge of the sink, she leaned her weight against it and sighed quietly. "Is there anything I can get you, sir?"  
  
No one responded. She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. Why had he come back? Hadn't Mr. Fujimiya mentioned that the man was looking for someone? Could it be her that he was talking about? But she didn't even know the man, so maybe he'd come to ask for more money to repair his damaged clothing. There was nothing she could do about that, though. She'd given him all the money she'd had. There was nothing more she could do about the accident.  
  
She gathered her frail courage and turned, ready to confront the man. There was no one there. No one was in the cake store with her. Something caught her eye and she walked over to the small table. A small heart was carved deeply into the cheap plastic, though the sides had long worn away. Thin letters were etched inside, and a closer look revealed that they spelled out "T and T forever". Next to the heart was a pile of bills. Hundred dollar bills. :--:--:  
  
"Akira, what was that about?" Soujiro grumbled discontentedly, unhappy at being left in the car for so long by himself.  
  
It took Akira a moment to respond. Then, he forced a laugh that sounded harsh and fake, even to his own ears. "What's wrong? Did you see some hotties, but discovered that I locked the doors so that opening them set off an alarm?"  
  
Soujiro didn't answer. While Akira started the engine, he stared out the window. He looked at his reflection in the glass, distorted and misshapen. Turning so Akira was visible too, he wondered at the endless stream of thoughts that wove through his head. [We're living a glass life...How different our real selves are from the image we create. How different life would be like if we all revealed our true thoughts, rather than the ones we think look best. Isn't it just like glass? One moment, something may be exposed. In the next, it's gone with a change of light. Did I just see a part of Akira that I haven't seem before?]  
  
At that moment, Akira turned on the light. Pulling a little-used map from the dashboard, he scanned it quickly. "Right, I'm really hungry. Who knew that a haircut would take so long? But anyway, let's get something to eat, then meet Tsukasa and Rui at that new club."  
  
Soujiro nodded in agreement, sadness and confusion flitting across his face. [He doesn't trust me...]  
  
:--:--:  
  
She stared through the translucent colors of the liquid, swirling it slowly around and around her glass. She sighed tiredly and took a sip. Another cheap Chardonnay, hurriedly served with a few meager ice cubes in an attempt to cool down the disgustingly warm wine. She held the glass closer to her nose, the sweet tang of the drink still lingering in the air.  
  
"Hey, Zuki!" A deep voice rang out, reverberating through the club.  
  
Shizuka looked up in surprise. She hadn't heard that name in years. Rising slowly from her chair, she looked around for the person who had called her name. She dropped her wineglass and brought her hands to her mouth. "Aki!" She winced as shards of glass rained around her feet. Stumbling toward Akira, she flung herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly for a second. Then she turned to the man standing behind him. "Oh my god- Jiro!"  
  
Stunned, Akira stood motionless for awhile. He remained silent, unaware of the flashing lights and throbbing music, as Shizuka's touch faded from his back. He awakened from his reverie when Soujiro slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, 'Aki'. I think there's someone waiting for us."  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Um...I'm going to wait here for Rui and Tsukasa. You go ahead." He walked back to the entrance of Light Ribbons and stood by the entrance. Slouching against the cold metal wall, he moved to a corner hidden by a flashy silver BMW. Sliding to the grass, he gazed glassy- eyed at the night sky. Scanning the stars carefully, he found the one he'd been looking for. A breath was released from his lips and blew away as he remembered..  
  
.:.:.:.:.  
  
"Aki, I want a star!" A young Shizuka tugged hard on Akira's pajama sleeve, dragging it below his bony shoulder.  
  
He smiled and pointed at a random star in the sky. "Okay, what about that one?"  
  
She squinted, then laughed childishly. "Now remember. It's the one that's closest to the moon. Now we have to name it. What do you want to call it, Aki?"  
  
"I don't know. Why don't you decide?"  
  
"I know! Our star's name is 'I will never leave you', because I will never leave your side, Aki."  
  
.:.:.:.:.  
  
Akira dropped his head into hands. A small sob escaped him as he was reminded of his unrequited love. [No, Aki! You promised yourself that you wouldn't cry over Shizuka anymore! There can't be anymore tears!] But even as he thought, tears leaked through his fingers and dripped onto the dew- covered grass.  
  
:--:--:  
  
Someone was outside the club, huddled on the wet ground. Tsukushi walked closer warily. She stopped short when she heard the cries emanating from the figure. Slowly, she kneeled in front of the man. His head was tucked into the protective circle of his arms, and his knees were drawn up to his face, hiding it from view. She reached into her pocket and drew out a thin cotton handkerchief. She held it toward him, but when he didn't take it, she set it gently in the palm of the hand draped across his knee. Then, she stood, brushing the dew and dirt from her jeans. "I'm sorry."  
  
When she had left and his sobs had ceased, Akira looked up. Wiping his face clean of the traces of tears, he paused when he felt something rough on the edge of the fabric. Holding it up to the light of the moon, the faint lettering appeared...  
  
T.M.  
  
~~~~~~~~@  
  
This chapter isn't as interesting as I wanted it to be, but I hope it shows you a little more about what the characters in this AU will be like. I also hope it answered some of your questions about this fanfic. If not, just post them in your review and I'll try hard to answer them for you! 


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